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Monday, June 14, 2010

Ugly Headboard to Funky Bench Makeover

I bought this twin headboard at a garage sale for a couple of bucks several years ago with the plan of making it into a garden bench. I was going to paint it a bright blue or green. But I guess I didn't look at it carefully enough, because under the grime was a really bad paint job with runs, globs and cracks, and a road rash on each end. Since I really didn't want to spend hours sanding it, I decided to camouflage it with pattern instead.

To do it, I had to buy two 2x4's to connect the headboard and footboard. I used a jig saw to cut a curve in three boards for a comfortable seat, and four 1x3's which I cut in half to make the slats for the seat.

Then, I bought three gallons of mistinted exterior paint for $1 each, and a quart of custom mixed black exterior. I also used some off white exterior paint left over from painting our house. The only other thing I bought was some painter's tape. It was a little pricey but boy was it worth it. I'll tell more about that later. I determined the size of the Harlequin pattern by measuring the square on near the top of the posts. Just to make it interesting, I made them a little taller than they are wide.

I used tape on the straight lines and freehand on the curves (and some of the straight lines that won't show much). I just don't have a steady hand for straight lines. Then I used a tip from Manuela at The Pleasure of Homemakingfor transferring lettering and put a Bible verse across the top.

I have absolutely no patience, and didn't wait for the paint to cure well before tracing the letters and just the pressure of my hand on the paper smeared the graphite into the paint and I had to start over. So if you do this, let your painted base get completely dry before you trace your letters on it.

This is today (not quite finished, but good enough for a picture).

All together, it cost me about $55.00, and I have tape and paint left over.

It's another Metamorphosis Monday and I am linking to Between Naps on the Porch. Love to see all the neat transformations people have posted there. Thanks Susan!

Oh, one more thing. I have to rave about this new paint tape I found. Maybe you are already using this, but if you aren't, and you are the impatient type, like me, try it. It is made by Frogtape, but it's a sensitive tape for delicate surfaces and fresh paint. It really works! As soon as the paint is dry enough to touch without sticking to your finger, you can put the tape on and it won't stick! At least most of the time. The black paint I bought has so much colorant in it that it was extremely slow drying and sticking to the headboard (which I didn't sand or prime first), and the tape pulled a little of it off. Could have been something on the headboard under the paint because it was only in one area.
Anyway, I don't work for them, get paid by them (I wish), or have any connection with the company. I just love this tape.

31 comments:

Hi Marti, You did an awesome job! Love the colors you used! I'm with you on Frogtape - I just started using it when painting - it's the best, it doesn't bleed through like regular blue painting tape. Have a great day! ~Marcy

That is one sensational bench. I am serious about this -- it could be passed down to children as an heirloom, I feel it's that good and just adore it. Also, you might be interested in this furniture boutique: http://www.mackenzie-childs.com/

I love your bench! I got a freebie headboard that's somewhat like yours. It's going in my spare bedroom - which is my craft room and it's going to be a fun room even if it kills me. I'm going to use your bench as an inspiration when I paint the bed.

Great job! Your new bench is so unique. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I just added the lanterns to our umbrella, so I hadn't thought about how I will store it, but I think I could leave them attached as long as I take the glass candle holders off.

Thank you for contributing this to http://www.FineCraftGuild.com's DIY Tutorial Linky Party.

It's beautiful and well presented.

If you have a new & equally wonderful tutorial you wish to share with us this week, come on over. We just opened a new linky party for this week's greatest talented artisans out there! (and you are one of them ;-0)

With havin so much content do you ever run into any problems of plagorism or copyright violation? My website has a lot of exclusive content I've either written myself or outsourced but it appears a lot of it is popping it up all over the web without my authorization. Do you know any solutions to help reduce content from being ripped off? I'd certainly appreciate it.Have a look at my web site ; Wicker Furniture

I have found my photos on a few blogs, which is why I now watermark most of them. I found an article I wrote on another website one time, notified them of copyright, and they pulled it. There could well be other websites I have never found with my photos or writing. I think that's just one of the chances you take by sharing online. There are websites where you can check for plagerism. I don't think they are 100% accurate as I have tested them before and sometimes they find my content, and sometimes they don't. Your website look good, best wishes with it.

I've seen many make overs....put this takes the cake....love it....I was seriously going to throw out a bed....now that I have stumbled on your site....I can see the potential that that bed has.....thank you so much for posting.....